This invention relates to a security gate for children or animals useful as a removable barrier for a passageway such as a hallway or doorway.
Lightweight, removable safety barriers are often temporarily installed at the top or bottoms off stairways, in hallways, or in doorways to restrict the movement of small children and/or animals. However, most security gates require more than one hand to install or remove the gate. The need for two hands to install or remove a security gate can be problematic when the user""s hands are occupied, for example, when holding a small child or groceries. Therefore, a removable safety gate that is easily installed or removed with one hand is desirable.
The disclosure provides a security gate having an adjustable width that is suitable for use as a barrier to restrict the movement of children or animals. The gate includes a stationary panel and an overlapping moveable panel which are slidably extendable with respect to each other and lockable in a variety of extended positions. The gate can be pressure mounted to an opening, such as a hallway or doorway.
The gate includes a handle located at the top of the gate which operates a drive train configured to slidably move the movable panel relative to the stationary panel. The drive train includes a helical gear and at least one rotating element that contacts the surface of the stationary panel and the movable panel. When the handle is depressed towards the stationary gate, the helical gear rotates. Rotation of the helical gear causes the rotating element to turn. As the rotating element turns, the movable panel is laterally displaced relative to the stationary panel thus extending the gate.